Greetings from Charlotte,
Americans are again having to confront the issue of another racially motivated shooting spree—this time in Charleston, South Carolina—while half way around the world, hundreds have died as a result of a searing heatwave in Pakistan. The same-sex marriage movement continues to gain speed in nations that once professed to follow biblical standards of morality. As we witness these "perilous times" we can certainly pray that God's Kingdom will come soon. Here in Charlotte, Dr. Meredith taped his Last Great Day sermon for the Feast, and Mr. Ames taped another Tomorrow's World telecast. I returned on Monday evening from a very profitable visit with congregations in South Africa and the UK. Last weekend, Dr. Richard Franz, who pastors congregations in St. Louis, Rolla and Columbia, Missouri was invited to speak to about 400 students and faculty at an Awards Assembly at Life University in Atlanta where he formerly served on the faculty. Also last weekend, Mr. Mario Hernandez presented three Tomorrow's World presentations in Belgium. The Pre-Teen Camp in Texas and the West Virginia Family Camp went very well (see announcements below). The Pre-Teen Camp in Missouri will begin this Sunday. Mr. Jacques Secours, pastor of the Montreal, Canada congregation was hospitalized after a severe heart attack and will be undergoing surgery. Your prayers will be appreciated.—DSW
Church Administration
Tomorrow's World Presentations in Belgium
We are happy to report a good turnout of excited members over the three TWPs we held on June 19- 21. The count on Friday evening in Liege was 22; 53 in Charleroi on the Sabbath and 53 again on Sunday afternoon. The series of three TWPs started out with a plunge into world history as outlined in Daniel 2, in what was dubbed the "Clash of Civilizations," followed up on Sabbath with specific prophecies in a presentation called "Europe in Prophecy." After a break, Mr. Hernandez gave a Bible Study identifying Jacob and Esau's relationship from the conflict in their mother's womb until today, highlighting Esau's descendants and their association in world geo-politics. Sunday afternoon we had the third TWP in the series on "Your Ultimate Destiny," a climax to the three exciting days of presentations that the members really appreciated. During these studies, three visitors expressed the desire to attend services in the near future, the only visitors we had. We appreciate the notes of encouragement from around the world and thank everyone for their prayers.—Rees Ellis
Feast of Tabernacles
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon CDs
Attention Pastors: Please send the Church Administration Department at [email protected] the names of those in your congregation(s) who will be unable to attend the Feast and will need to receive a set of the Feast of Tabernacles sermons on CD. (Sermons are available in English, French or Spanish.) The deadline to submit these requests is July 8 for international recipients and September 4 for recipients in the U.S. Note: Feast sermons will also be uploaded (one per day) during the Feast at www.lcg.org, for those who have Internet access.
Festival (Second Tithe) Assistance Requests—U.S. Only—Repeat Announcement
Attention U.S. Pastors: The deadline to submit Festival Assistance Request forms to the Church Administration Department is Wednesday, July 15. All forms should be properly completed by the members requesting second tithe assistance to attend the Feast this year. Then, the Area Pastors should write their recommendations/comments on the forms before submitting them to CAD. Festival Assistance Request forms are available to ministers on the MyLCG Web site (www.cogl.org). Note: Members requesting second tithe assistance should plan to attend their assigned site, unless there are extenuating circumstances.—Festival Office
Living Youth Program
LYC Registration Closed
The deadline for registration for campers and staff at all remaining LYC camps is now closed. If you have created an application, but haven't submitted it yet for processing, please do so immediately.—Josh Penman
West Virginia Family Camp
Seventy-eight campers, parents and family just completed the sixth successful year at the West Virginia Family Pre-Teen Camp (June 14-19). Many agreed that this was our best Camp ever! Satan's devious hand was more evident than in past years—from the unseasonably hot weather and dire weather forecasts to a host of other challenges. It was gratifying to see our powerful Father's intervention over and over again! Highlights included the final banquet, Camper All-Stars, delicious and healthy meals, Christian Living classes, Family Day, Mystery Night, the concluding Variety Show and Awards Ceremony—and most of all—seeing the campers grow! Commandments 6-10 were covered in Christian Living and nearly half of all campers, mini-campers' parents, and high school workers recited the entire Ten Commandments—long form! The "Spark Plug" and "A-Team" programs, designed as leadership training elements to the Family Camp structure were considered by many to be powerful elements of the Family Camp structure. On a scale of 1-10, by far, the most prevalent score on the Camp Survey was 10. One camper even gave it a 10 times 100! Some tears were shed over knowing that this was the final year of the WV Family Camp. But we are deeply thankful for the opportunity to have experienced six unforgettable, fabulous years and will be praying for the success of all the other camps—especially the new camp in North Carolina!—Paul Shumway
2015 Texas Pre-Teen Camp: One Big Happy Family
Last week, 156 campers and staff assembled deep in the heart of the pine woods of East Texas at Lone Star Camp in Athens. The beautiful facility provided us with air-conditioned meeting rooms, dormitories, cabins and even family housing, along with a state-of-the art gymnasium with basketball and volleyball courts, a 25-acre lake, open-air pavilions and a playground. Our theme was "think family," and our aim was to learn and practice the principles that produce a happy, healthy family environment—one camp family picturing the one big happy Family that God is creating. Campers had the opportunity to do this through participating in a number of activities: archery, campus improvement, canoeing, Ga-Ga (or "touch-touch") Ball, introduction to sports, life skills for boys and girls, soccer and the variety show. Christian Living classes addressed ways to communicate properly, showing respect and making right decisions. When Tropical Depression Bill brought a deluge of rain the third and fourth days of camp, the combined efforts of the staff enabled us to shift and reschedule activities within hours to maintain our schedule without hardly missing a beat. The dedication of our staff and the willing attitudes of our campers helped us to achieve our goal of being one big happy camp family!—Bob Rodzaj
Living University
Registration for 1st (Fall) Semester
Registration for Fall semester classes will begin on July 1 and classes will begin August 17. Students may register anytime between July 1 and the start of classes. For those who have never taken a Living University course, you will need to enroll in the University first, and then register for your selected course. The following are brief descriptions of several courses being offered next semester. A complete listing of "Fall 2015 Class Schedule" (Spring in the Southern hemisphere), can also be viewed on the Living University Web site. To make application to Living University, to register for courses, and to find out more, please visit the www.livinguniv.com Web site. For additional information, please contact Mrs. Michelle Broussard at [email protected] or 704-708-2294. The following are a selection of the 16 classes will be offering this semester. We plan to share an overview of our Fall courses over the next month in The World Ahead, so be sure to watch for them.
THL 110a – Bible Study Course. This version of the Bible Study Course (BSC) is online and includes lectures on related topics and additional readings. It will be more "in depth" than the paper-pencil or online version of the Bible Study Course, but it will use the original course as its backbone. The course has no tuition charge for those who enroll. Students are only responsible for the Technology Fee. This is the first of the two-semester course, and it serves as an introduction to the Bible, its message, and its implication for successful Christian life in today's world.
THL 135 – Life, Ministry and Teachings of Jesus. This course is one of LU's foundational courses in theology, and covers the life, ministry, and teachings of Jesus Christ as presented in the four Gospels. It takes a "harmony of the gospels" approach to the subject and covers the gospels in far more detail manner than is possible in our traditional Sabbath services. Students will study the background, purpose, message, and themes of the Gospels and the significance of Jesus Christ in the first century and beyond. The lectures for this course are presented by long-time evangelist and Bible teacher, Dr. Roderick C. Meredith.
THL 200 – Principles of Christian Living. This practical course covers the purpose for human life; human nature; values, morality, and ethics; marriage and family, and career. Students will learn how to explain and demonstrate a basic knowledge of practical Christian living principles. The lecture core is presented by Dr. Douglas Winnail and deals with the foundations of Christian living for successful life in today's world.
Comments
Are You Teachable? The Scriptures reveal that one of the important qualities of character that God is looking for in Christians and in future leaders in the Kingdom of God is teachability—the desire and willingness to listen and learn and be molded by God. Abraham was teachable and responsive to God's instructions (Genesis 12:1-4). Moses was a very capable leader, yet he was humble and teachable (Numbers 12:3). David's attitude comes through in Psalm 119:33 when he writes, "Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes." Solomon recognized his own human inadequacies when he asked God for wisdom and an "understanding heart" so he could learn to rule God's people wisely (1 Kings 3:9). When Jesus said the meek and the poor in spirit will be blessed, He was emphasizing their teachability and their willingness to learn and grow (Matthew 5:3-5). The Scriptures also make it plain that when we harden our hearts to God's instruction, we will reap serious consequences (Proverbs 28:14). We have been called to reign with Jesus Christ in the Kingdom of God, and being teachable is one of the keys to attaining that reward.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—June 25, 2015
United States Pushes for German Leadership: "US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter on Monday urged Germany to bolster its defense spending 'to ensure that Germany's defense investments match Germany's leadership role'" (Deutsche Welle, June 22, 2015). "The United States is pleased to hear that Germany is willing to assume a leadership role. Carter commended Berlin's strong show in addressing the Ukraine crisis and Chancellor Angela Merkel's demonstration of her extraordinary leadership skills in her diplomatic dealings with Moscow and Kyiv. He noted that Germany is also an important partner in nuclear talks with Afghanistan and Iran" (Deutsche Welle, June 23, 2015). Germany recently decided to increase its defense spending over the next five years by 6.2 percent to meet the demands of a changing role in world affairs (Reuters, March 17, 2015). Bible prophecy indicates Germany (Assyria) will become a global power at the end of the age and will be the rod of God's anger against sinful nations (Isaiah 10:5-6). This superpower will dominate the world and will have an impact on "all the nations" (Revelation 18:3). As the pride of the modern Israelite nations continues to wane, Germany will be pushed to fill the leadership void on the world scene—militarily, economically and politically. For more information about this topic, watch our telecast The Lost Empire of Assyria.
Heat-Related Deaths in Pakistan: "Pakistan's PM Nawaz Sharif has called for emergency measures as the death toll from a heatwave in southern Sindh province reached nearly 700. The army is now being deployed to help set up heat stroke centres, with temperatures reaching 45C (113F)… There is anger among local residents at the authorities because power cuts have restricted the use of air-conditioning units and fans, correspondents say… Matters have been made worse by the widespread abstention from water during daylight hours during the fasting month of Ramadan" (BBC, June 23, 2015). "The hope now is that with the expected pre-monsoon rains later in the week the weather will improve. That will certainly provide much-needed respite to millions affected by the heatwave, but it won't change the chronic underlying problems this ever-growing city of 20 million faces—a dysfunctional infrastructure and poor governance" (ibid.). The world today cries out for righteous leadership—something that will drastically change the world when it occurs. Christ will return in the future as "the righteous Judge" (2 Timothy 4:8) and will rule the earth with righteousness—completely changing the world from what it is today (Isaiah 32:1-4). At that time, people in the world will fast to draw closer to God (Mark 2:20), but not for just the daylight hours of a month as more than a billion Muslims now do annually. Additionally, the excessive temperatures that we see today will be moderated as rains come in due season (Leviticus 26:4). For more on this coming Millennial world, view The Soon-Coming Utopia.
Mexico Joins the Same-Sex-Marriage Club! "Mexico's Supreme Court has ruled that governments throughout the country should grant legal recognition to same-sex marriage. The court's June 19 decision was based on the finding that procreation is not an essential purpose of marriage. The court found, on that basis, that all state laws restricting marriage to male-female couples were unconstitutional" (Catholic World News, June 22, 2015). It is ironic that the historically Roman Catholic nation would conclude that "procreation is not an essential purpose for marriage" when God clearly created man and woman, commanded them to be joined to each other (Genesis 2:24) and to "be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth" (Genesis 1:28, KJV). Additionally, God commanded that a man and woman come together in marriage because "He seeks godly offspring" (Malachi 2:15). It is easy to dismiss procreation as "not an essential purpose for marriage" when the Bible is rejected and everyone does "whatever is right in his own eyes" (Deuteronomy 12:8). Mexico is just one more nation (with many to come) that has succumbed to international peer pressure, rejecting centuries-old biblical values in favor of personal choice. The sobering fact is that "God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap"—society and individuals will face consequences for these choices (Galatians 6:7). For more information on the solutions to this confused marriage dilemma, read our Bible-based booklet God's Plan for Happy Marriage.–Scott Winnail, Justin Ridgeway, Chris Sookdeo and Francine Prater